Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA)
The Graduate School and University Center recognizes the concerns of its employees to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of his/her family. To address these interests, the CUNY FMLA Leave policy adopts the provisions of The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and extends those provisions to cover domestic partner relationships.

According to CUNY FMLA policy, “… it provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying reasons during the designated leave year i.e., September 1st through August 31st. In order to be eligible, an employee must have been employed by the University for at least 12 months cumulatively, and must have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period preceding the requested commencement of the leave. The employee’s FMLA 12 week leave period entitlement will commence anew from the subsequent period of September 1st through August 31st, provided that the eligibility requirements are fulfilled. The FMLA also provides for 26 weeks leave during a single 12 month period for a spouse, son, daughter or parent or next of kin to care for a member of the Armed Forces (including the National Guard or Reserves) who has a serious injury or illness.”

According to the 2010 amendment to the Family and Medical Leave Act, familial relations now defines persons in loco parentis to include those with day-to-day responsibilities to care for or financially support a child where the employee tends to assume the responsibilities of a parent with regard to a child, or, in the case of an employee, who had such responsibility for the employee when the employee was a child.

Employees of the CUNY Research Foundation or any other separately incorporated employer affiliated with CUNY or a CUNY College are not CUNY employees and are not covered by these guidelines.

Further information on the CUNY Policy on Family & Medical Leave Act and forms are available at the Human Resources website.